Twinkle
by The Dragon's Scribe
Summary: Leonardo must return from his self sentenced exile upon an ushering from April and news of his family having been broken and splintered apart. Warning for mature content. This is the follow-up to Night Skies, the AU/Crossover fan-fiction.
1. Apastron

**A/N: Here's a warning to the readers, this is the follow-up of an AU/Crossover fan-fiction. If you don't want to get confused, I suggest you read Night Skies. I promise it's not too long or bad-just different.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT.**

* * *

The stars hung in the heavy violet velvet sky. There was no moon on this night. It was new, turning its prying eyes away from humanity and the troubles on Earth for the night. Tomorrow it would be back to witness the carnage and destruction again, but tonight the Earth was alone.

Leonardo preferred it that way. Nothing to illuminate him as he moved through the dense growth of the jungle. His movements were fluid and silent as he leapt from branch to thick branch, never disturbing the animals that slept or the animals that hunted. Muscle rippled underneath the emerald green skin that glistened with a thin sheen of sweat. He came to a sudden halt among the leaves, going from fluid and limber to stiff and solid. He was perched in the crook of several tree branches, his calloused hands supported half of his weight while his powerful legs, folded underneath him on another branch, supported the rest of him.

Blue strips of cloth fluttered behind him, rising and falling with the gentle breeze that swept through the jungle, taking his scent with it to the predators that hunted in the dense undergrowth. They would scatter upon his scent or converge upon it, as he had developed a reputation with the wilderness just as he had developed one among the few human settlements in the vicinity.

His hazel gaze stared ahead, capturing the amber glow of flames as harsh and guttural laughter rang through the trees. His features remained unreadable and almost unemotional. Their was a splintering sound and a spray of embers and ash as the flames rose higher into the sky. He stared, unable to tear his gaze away.

He could hear the voices. Their voices. He could still feel the agony of the flames from another time. His gaze hardened and his body tensed. He could hear their cries of pain and agony.

Leonardo's eyes darted aside at the sound of a heavily accented voice shouting in Spanish. He caught sight of a battered old jeep bouncing along a dirt road and laden with treasures and trinkets.

He turned away from the flames and followed the vehicle through the canopy, easily keeping pace as he leapt from branch to branch, swinging under sharp-edged leaves and twisted limbs. He glanced back down at the jeep and watched it.

A woman outlined in blue flashed through his mind and his gaze narrowed as he raced ahead of the jeep. He leapt through hanging vines and at once, his feet struck the trunk of a dead tree and his body curled into a crouch in the split second it took for him to land there. The trunk groaned and creaked as his powerful legs pushed off of it. He leapt into the hanging vines as the tree uttered a sharp snapping sound and tumbled through the undergrowth and mass of vines to land with a muffled thump in the middle of the narrow dirt road. Leonardo hung from the vines, his left hand wrapped around one as he waited intently. At the sound of creaking tires he clambered up the vine, scuttling into the thick and leafy canopy as the jeep's brakes struggled to a skidding halt before the fallen trunk.

Leonardo watched from a thick branch high up in the canopy. He stood stock still, spine erect and with one hand on a loose vine.  
"¡Idiota! Watch where you're going." Came the harsh sound of a male voice along with the resounding smack of a hand against the back of a head.

"There's a log on the road, señor." Was the soft-spoken and timid reply.

His hazel gaze scanned the ground below him, measuring the enemies arrayed against him. Four men. Three armed with guns.

"Well, if you're not too busy-remove it!"

Leonardo remained silent, but took note of the anger in the man's tone. That one was obviously the leader, and would likely be easy to take down once his followers were out.

"Cortés, handle it."

One of the men leapt out of the vehicle, setting his rifle aside and moving to the front of the jeep. He tugged a towing cable free of the ram bar as he approached the fallen tree.

Leonardo slid down the vine, landing softly on his feet in a crouch behind a tree before rolling forward to the fallen obstruction. He crouched behind it, pressing his shell to the mossy wood and listening intently as the man's boot crunched over exotic beetles and dirt. Leonardo swiftly reached over the side of the obstruction, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and dragging him over the fallen tree. Leo pressed a hand firmly over the man's open mouth as he dragged him away into the undergrowth, keeping the human male in a sleeper hold even as he heard the others make sounds of panic.

The man in his grip squirmed and fought against him, even going so far as to try biting the inside of his hand. Leonardo only tightened his arm around the human's throat, nearly crushing the man's wind pipe. The human's efforts became more feeble and slow as he slipped into unconsciousness. The human slumped limply in his grip.

He dropped the now unconscious male and clambered up another tree. He moved out on a branch over another human. This one carried a rifle. Leonardo knelt on the sturdy branch and removed a rope from the small pack he carried with him. He waited for the right opportunity before dropping it over the second man. Leonardo swiftly pulled up on the rope an it tightened around the human's midsection. Leo dropped to the ground while gripping the rope, using the branch and rope as a pulley system. The man spun wildly as he flew into the leafy canopy. Shots fired from his rifle in panic. Leonardo gripped the rope tightly, the muscles in his arms strained to keep the heavy human up in the tree tops as he knelt low to the ground, watching his remaining opponents.

"The ghost of the jungle. He punishes those who prey upon the weak." Came the soft-spoken man's shaking voice as he moved cautiously in front of the jeep, panicked eyes scanning the jungle around him.

Leonardo sat in wait, considering the human. He released his grip on the rope and it flew through his open hands. The man in the canopy fell to the ground with a thud before the soft-spoken human.

As Leonardo predicted, the human gave a panicked cry and ran off afraid despite his leader's rough snarl.

Leonardo watched the larger human step out of the jeep, waving a machete around with nervous and angry steps.

"Show yourself. Do you realize who you're dealing with?" The leader barked out, backing up against Leo's hiding spot. The blue masked terrapin silently rose to his feet behind the man, most of his form concealed by the leafy plants. He had nothing to fear now that this one man remained without a gun.

His hazel gaze glimmered dangerously and the man whirled around with a shout of surprise at the sight of seemingly disembodied eyes. Leonardo stiffened and fell back a step as the man whirled around and ran.

The terrapin warrior shook his head as whispering memories tugged at his consciousness. He bit back a snarl and ran after the human who had tumbled down a ravine. Leonardo leapt gracefully, his body twisting before landing in front of the human with his knees bent to absorb the shock of the fall. He rose to his full height, gaze narrowed and judging of the human filth before him.

The man shouted angry and violent words, lifting his machete defiantly as he challenged Leonardo.

The blue masked terrapin considered the enemy before him as he reached over his shoulder and unsheathed a katana. It hissed quietly as it exited its scabbard. Leo's hazel gaze seemed to dull and go flat as he rushed forward to meet the human that brandished the machete at him. Leonardo easily smacked the machete out of the man's hand with his katana before gripping the human's left wrist and spinning the large person into the ground face first. The man cried out as Leo's katana swung into his shoulder. The terrapin's hazel gaze held no mercy and no respite for the man on the ground-only contempt. The blade threatened to cleave the man in two unequal halves.

The human squirmed underneath him, and he glared at its backside. It was another target, another necessary kill for the Taskforce.

Leo froze, the katana embedded deeply into the man's shoulder and collar-bone. Blood spilled from the grievous wound, flowing heavily and in spurts as it pooled beneath the twitching and moaning body. His hand slipped free of the hilt of his katana and he stepped back, eyes wide. His chest heaved and heavy gasps escaped him as he stumbled into a tree. He leaned against it and screwed his eyes shut as his heart pounded heavily beneath his plastron.

Flashes of shadow and red eyes darted through his mind. A ticking sound thundered as it reverberated through his skull, increasing in volume with each tick. He pressed a hand to his chest and tried evening out his breathing.

"It's over. Just a memory. It's over. Just a memory." He whispered to himself in a mantra as he fought against the waves of pain and panic. He heaved a breath, expelling his panic and despair, before sinking to the ground with his shell to the tree. His eyelids flickered open and he stared at the human's still twitching body with his katana sticking out of its upper body. Leo stared with a broken expression.

He closed his eyes once more with a resigned breath.

.,.,.,.,.

Raphael yawned behind his helmet. He stretched his arms and listened carefully as the leather of his suit creaked at the movement. He'd need to oil that later. He sighed and leaned back, letting his amber gaze drift up to the night sky up above his head. He couldn't make out anything other than the winking lights of airplanes in the sky. He rolled his eyes and dropped his gaze to the world beneath his dangling feet as he sat on the edge of a rooftop up above the city below. The lights from the city glowed brilliantly. The glare of the light glimmered off the metal of his suit and faceplate. He rolled his shoulders and yawned again.

The night was drawing to an end. It would be morning soon. His brothers would be up in about three hours or so. His father in one. Maybe less.  
Had Leo been around, they'd have been up an hour ago running through katas and hanging on to his every word. Raph rolled his eyes and rose to his feet. They'd thought he was such a hero at the time. Licking his heels as if they tasted like goddamn strawberries. They'd been idiots to follow Leo around like lost puppies, as if their older brother had been their fearless leader. Perfection personified.

He hated moments like these. When the crime dwindled to nothing. When he had nothing but his thoughts to deal with. He hated it because it always lead to the same thing: Leo. He wasn't even mad at Leo to begin with. Not at first anyways, but with so much down time, Leo was the one thing that always came to mind. It was easier to blame everything that went wrong on Leo. He knew it wasn't right, but he didn't have anything else to do when he was alone with his thoughts.

Raphael shook his head, trying to disperse his anger at his older brother.

He turned and walked, each step weighed down by the heavy armor he wore to protect his body and identity. More his physiology than anything. He didn't need some idiot criminal screaming about turtles attacking in the dead of night. His family was already suspicious enough about his late night activities.

He snorted as he dropped on the fire escape below with a heavy thud. They were suspicious about his activities but not their missing brother's. Leo was just perfect enough to go missing for an extra year and still be earning praise about his efforts and training. As if. Their brother was probably living the good life deep in the boonies. Sitting back and drinking in the tranquility of the jungle. Meditating and surrounded by candles in "harmony" with the wilderness. Probably all too happy to leave the family behind. It was one less huge scrap of stress to deal with.

There he went again, thinking about Leo.

Raphael slid down the rungs of the fire escape and landed in a puddle with a soft splash. Raph honestly didn't blame his brother for wanting to be away. He'd like the peace of mind. Being able to hear his own thoughts without anyone else's interruptions would have been a godsend.  
He lifted a manhole cover and leapt in, sliding it closed above him.

He removed his helmet silently, his amber eyes reflected in the surface of the dirty water beneath him. But he was Raphael, not Leonardo the master ninja, not Donatello the brilliant genius, and not Michelangelo the witty jack-of-all-trades. He was the muscle, and the only thing reserved for muscle was to push and stand. He didn't need any sort of special training. The only training he was fit for was physically demanding. What would living in the jungle do for the family other than be a waste of an asset?

He trudged through the sewers. He probably wouldn't have been sent on a training mission to parts unknown until he was well into his thirties, either way. Now with the obedient child off playing hooky, he doubted he'd have a chance to be sent at all. He'd be resigned to the mean streets of New York City. He didn't dislike the idea of that. But it would have been nice to see a jungle that wasn't made of brick and concrete.

He strode up to a wall and pulled the pipe that acted as the key to their home. The wall slid apart and he stepped in. He was taking a risk to enter the lair in his armor, but he'd been too tired to lug the armor around in a bag. It'd been a long night and he was getting tired of doing this on his own. It had exhilarated him at the beginning, not having to worry about his brothers getting injured. Not having to take anyone's orders but his own. He hadn't had to pull back his punches and he'd felt free. It felt free until he got hit by a bullet at nearly point-blank range. It had scared the crap out of him and he was lucky the bullet had ricocheted off his armor.

The boots he wore thudded softly as he made his way up the stairs, heading for his room. He passed by Leonardo's room and paused for a moment, turning his amber gaze on the worn frame of the door. He stared before snorting and shaking his head irritably, heading for his own room.  
He opened his door and slammed it shut, not caring if anyone heard. He tossed the helmet on his bed before plopping down next to it with a yawn.  
Leo wasn't going to come back. He knew it, and he was perfectly fine with it now.

After that first year, he waited for Leo's return with bated breath. He waited. Patiently-impatiently-it didn't matter. He had waited and Leo hadn't shown up. There were no letters. None at all since that first year he spent away. It wasn't even a year, maybe six months at the most. Nothing came from South America. Raph could assume that his brother was dead, but that would've been too easy. Leonardo wasn't the type to just lay down and die. To die meant failure, and failing wasn't something that Raphael's "oh so fearless leader" could do. The red masked turtle began unbuckling the straps of his armor in the darkness. His thick fingers fumbled over the straps, pulling at the belted leather across his body.

The fact that Leo wasn't dead made it all the more painful for Raphael. His brother was out living it up without him or anyone else. Leo was alone, and he was enjoying it.

He shook his head and leaned back where he sat, his gaze fixated on the low ceiling of his room. He exhaled heavily and muttered a curse under his breath. If Leo didn't want to be around them, then Raph didn't want to be around his brother.

.,.,.,.,.

Michelangelo yawned as he sat on the couch and grabbed the remote from the cushion beside him. He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and turned the T.V. on before beginning to sift through the channels, searching for something to watch to fill up the time. He'd found himself having plenty of extra time during the day, even in between each time he had to leave for a party-gig. He leaned back into the couch and blinked sleepily as another news report came on.

He stretched his arms and smacked his lips before relaxing again. He kind of missed the morning training and late night patrol runs across the city. He missed being able to pick on Raphael and not getting a black eye out of it. He missed the casual manner Donatello used to have with them, but even Don's friendly disposition was gone. Splinter filled up his own time watching his "shows" and meditating. Mikey didn't know much about getting old, but he was certain it wasn't good for Splinter's health to always be frowning.

Mikey sighed and glanced at Don's empty work station. His brother was probably trying to get in as much sleep as he could before he had to start his next shift of work. It really had taken a lot out of his older brother. Don wasn't himself anymore. Mikey knew his brother had yearned to be able to freely converse with humans, and to be among those that would understand his vast intelligence. Being an on-call tech support technician did nothing for those aspirations. Don was meeting the worst of people. There were those who didn't understand computers, those that were too stupid for their own good, the violent and easy to anger type, and the constant stream of desperate people thinking it was a phone line for the less than romantic conversations.

Dealing with such people had broken Donatello's aspirations. It had worn him down and made him grow to hate humans.

Mikey watched the television with disinterest. He had hoped to see a special report on the newest vigilante in town: the Nightwatcher. He liked reminiscing the past. He remembered what it was like to be responsible for saving people from criminals and monsters in human skin. It had felt nice, to be more than just some perversion of nature and science. To be a hero.

He turned the TV off. Those days were over, at least as long as his eldest brother was gone.

He wasn't mad that Leo was gone. Unlike Raph or Don, he just wanted Leo home, no questions asked. He didn't care what Leo did that had kept him away for so long, Mikey just wanted his brother back. He wanted his family normal again instead of constantly fighting.

He rose to his feet and padded softly to his father's room, pausing outside of the half-open door, avoiding the glow of the candles within that escaped through the entrance.

"What troubles you, my son?" Came the steady voice of his father. Mikey rubbed the back of his neck and glanced upstairs before entering and standing awkwardly in front of his father. The aged ninja master looked weary and tired as he knelt on a tatami mat in front of Mikey. His soft gaze rose to meet his son's own tender blue eyes. Mikey wrung his hands in nervousness, Splinter noticed.

"Michelangelo," he began.

"Master, I want to go find Leo." Mikey interrupted before freezing and stiffening, just realizing that he'd interrupted his father. The old ninja waved it off and gestured for Mikey to kneel.

The young terrapin complied and met his father's gaze with desperation in his eyes.

"Michelangelo, your duty to your brothers is commendable, but I cannot allow you to leave in search of your brother. We must keep faith in Leonardo's return."

"Sensei, he's been gone for two years! How much longer do we have to wait? What if he's hurt or worse? Why did he have to go in first place? I mean, it's not like he needed anymore training."

"That is enough, Michelangelo. I will not sit idly by as you pass judgement over things you do not understand. You are not the first of your brothers to request such a journey for Leonardo's sake. I hold faith in your brother, as should you."

Mikey looked away. "Yeah, well, I understand well enough." He muttered darkly as he rose to his feet. "You just don't want the risk of losing another son. I don't blame you for that, Sensei."

He turned and moved to exit the room but paused at the doorway and glanced over his shoulder at Master Splinter. He opened his mouth to speak only to clamp it shut and turn away, heading into the main room of the lair and leaving Splinter to his own guilt.

"Why do you not come to us, Leonardo?" He whispered.

.,.,.,.,.

Donatello carefully made his way down the steps of the stairs that led from the bedrooms to the ground floor, yawning as he did so. His left hand trailed over the metal railing as a precaution should he lose his balance. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd fallen asleep while walking down the stairs, but he wouldn't end up lying face first at the bottom steps again. He blinked tiredly and took another step down the stairs only to stumble back and nearly fall on his shell as something fast and solid bumped into him.

Don instinctively reached out and grabbed his aggressor by the upper arm. His coffee brown gaze turned an accusing eye on his youngest brother who met his glare with an angered one. Don frowned and his hand fell from Mikey's arm.

"What happened?" He asked softly, somehow managing to be kind despite not having gotten much sleep or any coffee yet.

Mikey just shook his head and started back up the steps. Don reached out and placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder. "Mikey," he began.

"Donnie, I don't want to talk about it. You wouldn't understand." He muttered under his breath, glancing at the currently established leader of the clan with soft blue eyes.

Don studied him for a moment, assessing the situation. "This is about Leo, isn't it?"

Mikey looked away before shaking Don's hand off. "Don't pretend to care about him. You're just as angry at him as Raph is. Why am I the only one who still wants him back home?"

Don fell back a step at the bitter response to his question. His face took on a surprised and hurt expression. Sure, he had been upset with Leo, but it never was anything farther than that. Leo had ditched them and dumped all of his duties on Donatello's shoulders. Yes, Don was upset that Leo still had not returned, but he understood now what Leo had been forced to cope with. The stress and rigors of leadership were no easy burden. If anything, Don had grown to respect his brother more after each passing day, though he began to resent his brother as well. How could Leo abandon them like this? Sure the job was tough, just as the solitary training must be as well, but Leo was needed here at home and his training period ended a year ago. That a few days ago had been his birthday did nothing to appease the sense of distance and loss from the blue masked turtle.

Michelangelo was right and wrong. Don was upset with Leo, but he still cared about his eldest brother. He worried for him every day. A solitary training period in South America was no simple task. It was dangerous beyond measure in every sense of the word. Leo was alone in one of the deadliest ecosystems on Earth. He had no contact with anyone, he had no one to doctor him and he would have to hunt for his own meals. The animals there were exotic and deadly, the vegetation could kill him if he ate the wrong fruit or berry, and the water was filled with crippling pathogens and carnivorous amoeba.

Don turned his eyes back to Mikey but the words he wanted to say would not move from his tongue.

Mikey knew what his brother wanted to say. He looked away with a guilty expression. "I'm sorry, Donnie, that was unfair. I just... I want him back home y'know." He sighed before heading up the stairs to his room.

Donatello watched his youngest brother before dropping his gaze to the ground. He stood there, frozen in thought, before turning and heading down the stairs to his work station. He sat down and went to work, fingers flying across the keys and eyes darting over the screens. He rolled his chair to the desk beside his array of computers and sifted through several envelopes. He nodded and retrieved one before rolling back to his computers. He opened the envelope and unfolded a scrap of paper. He fished out a photograph from within the envelope and stared at it. He'd memorized the photograph and the letter long ago. The photo was beautiful, no matter how many times he recalled it, memories couldn't compare to the real picture.

He stared and a smile crept across his features. His brother had crawled up to the treetops, fighting against over protective mother birds and agitated monkeys to take the photo of the sunrise over the jungle. The sky was a mix of orange, yellow, and blue. The sun crested over the treetops and a trio of birds had flown out over the jungle. Don scrutinized the photo. Sure enough, there was a small village in the far left corner of the photograph. He could barely see the stone tops of several buildings.

He set aside the photograph and lifted the letter, eyes scanning over the torn and weathered paper, reading the neat handwriting that was from his eldest brother's hand. He found a scattering of details and typed those in as well.

He sifted through files.

He must have spent at least three hours sitting there, searching before he finally found what he was looking for. He tapped the side of his headset, having put it on an hour ago.

"Dial April."

He waited, tapping his hand on his keyboard idly until she finally answered.  
"April, I'm sorry for the short notice, but are you still headed into Brazil for that expedition next week?"

He nodded as she replied in the positive. "Can I ask that you do me a huge favor?"

He exhaled slowly. "I need you to head to these coordinates: -3.062112,-57.689242."

He paused as she wrote them down. "Those coordinates should lead you to my brother. He shouldn't have moved, but if he has, it won't be far from there," he paused. "Just try to get him to understand that we need him. I'll send some items your way to help persuade him."

He waited for her confirmation. "Thanks, April. One more thing," he said before glancing around to make sure that none of his brothers were in earshot.

"He hasn't been in contact with anyone in nearly two years. Be careful, I don't know what he's been through in that jungle. Promise me you'll tell me if anything happens, for both your sake and his."

He sighed as she agreed to his request. "Thanks. I hope you find him." He said before tapping the side of his headset and ending the call. He glanced up at his computer screens and his fingers flew across the keyboard as he worked to erase all evidence of his hacking into the federal satellite systems.

* * *

**A/N: So how was that for the first chapter? That's right, chapter. This thing is gonna have a few of those. Here's a fair warning: Twinkle is going to get dark. Really dark. Next chapter should be up this week too, seeing as I had to split up this chapter after I made my edits. Have any questions, feel free to leave it in a review, PM, or you can ask me on my Tumblr page.**

**For you readers, there's a homework assignment on my author's bio in the links section. Believe me when I say you need to do this to get a feel for the next update.**


	2. Nova

Leonardo knelt low as he studied the trail of a wounded animal. He rose to his feet and followed the trail, noticing the spatter of blood on the leafy foliage near the ground. He cautiously stepped over twisted roots and avoided the thorny patches of undergrowth. He moved silently through the jungle, ducking under hanging vines and breathing in even and controlled breaths.

He could hear its distressed breathing and mewls of pain now. He crouched down and pressed his shell to a tree. He turned his head to look around the trunk of the tree and spotted its black and white shape. He studied it carefully, inspecting the animal from his place behind tree before rising slowly and silently to his feet. He needed to hurry before the other jungle predators found it.

He moved through the vegetation before coming to kneel beside the dying tapir. It squealed weakly as it lay on its side and Leonardo strategically placed his hands on its head before twisting it sharply with an audible snapping sound that echoed off the trees around him, interrupting the chirps of tropical birds. He lifted the tapir onto his shoulders, bearing the impressive weight of the small animal.

He started towards his cave only to suddenly stiffen and freeze in place. His eyes were wide and disbelieving.

A small silvery object hung from a tree branch by a thin chain a few feet away. It spun lazily from the branch. Leonardo's breathing changed pace, turning swift and uneven. His chest heaved and his heart pounded against his plastron. His mind was blank and fear stabbed through him as he stared at the object.

He could hear it now, what had been a nearly inaudible sound now turned into a thundering series of the same sound that only became louder and louder.

He dropped to his hands and knees; the tapir slid off his body and landed next to him on the ground with a thump.

He gripped his head in his hands and screwed his eyes shut. The ticking suddenly stopped and his eyes flickered open. He dropped his hands from his head and looked up at the silver pocket watch.

It swung open and his eyes went wide. "No!" He managed to cry out before a woman's calm and tender voice rang out, cutting his cry off.

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star  
How I wonder what you are_

He shook his head as screams erupted around him and unimaginable pain swarmed throughout him. He screwed his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around himself desperately. His heart rate spiked and the pumping flesh beat wildly against his plastron as he rocked fearfully back and forth whispering incoherently. The singing was still louder and yet had not fallen out of its calm and controlled rhythm.

_Up above the world so high  
Like a diamond in the sky_

The dark form of the Contractor loomed above him. Even with his eyes screwed shut he could see it. The blood poured and dripped. He could hear it in the background with that ominous ticking. He could smell the scent of blood-metallic and like rust. He tasted it in his mouth, bitter and thick. It dripped onto his body and flowed down, leaving red streaks on his skin and plastron. He found it more difficult to breathe now.

_When the blazing sun is gone  
When the nothing shines upon_

He dared to open his eyes and paled at the sight of the Contractor. It was dark with glowing red eyes. It stood over him sneering down at him. He swallowed and began gagging suddenly as blood flowed up from his throat and filled his mouth. He tried swallowing it down only for it to come back up with even more blood. It wasn't blood. It wasn't liquid. It was shadow. His hands wrapped around his throat as he fought to breathe.

_Then you show your little light  
Twinkle, twinkle, all the night _

But then his hands were not on his throat. He was sneering down at himself, gripping his doppelganger's throat with both hands and wringing the life free from it. He swiftly released his double and stumbled back, shadows whipped around him as he fell back. His pale hazel eyes, glowing red, caught on his double's limp form just as he went over the edge and fell deep into a chasm. A scream, loud and piercing, escaped his throat as he reached out for help.

_Then the traveler in the dark  
Thanks you for your little spark_

Then it stopped. The singing simply cut off and he trembled with fear. He dared open his eyes and found that the pocket watch was gone and he was kneeling exactly where he had fallen when the singing had begun. He tentatively rose to his feet and doubled over as he heaved up the contents of his stomach. He swallowed back the acidic bile of his own stomach acid and nearly sobbed in relief as it slid down his throat. He shook horribly, his nervous eyes darted around suspiciously before he straightened and sprinted for refuge, leaving the dead tapir where it lay, forgetting the creature and remembering why he dared not venture far from his sanctuary.

.,.,.,.,.

He eased himself into the warm water of his private pool. He was in sanctuary. He was in his home-his refuge-and away from prying eyes. The only entrance was through the crack at the ceiling of his cave, penetrated only by the patient growth of powerful tree roots. Pale light filtered through the fissure in the ceiling as he sunk into the water. His katanas lay flat on the ground, unstrapped from his body while he remained in his usual gear.

He lowered his head under the surface of the water and kicked, diving into the dark depths. Carnivorous fish swam around him, moving calmly in the darkness. He was no threat to them as he was not prey to them either. They paid him no heed, choosing to ignore him. His arms moved as he swam deep, sweeping out and guiding his slender body through the clean and muffled dark.

It was quiet. Almost silent and serene. He closed his eyes and reached out, grabbing onto a heavy piece of debris that had been trapped under the water. He gripped it in both hands and shifted his body under it, moving between the rocky ground and the fallen log. His shell scraped against stone, jarring his entire body. He pushed and found that he was stuck in place, unable to shift his body anymore. He closed his eyes, his mask tails drifted in the water that pressed around him. He eased himself against the rocks at his shell, his head resting against the rocky outcropping. He opened his eyes silently, considering the silvery surface of the water.

He could try telling himself that he was doing this to save others from the menace that he had become, but that wouldn't be truthful. He was in pain. He knew he wasn't right in the head. He suffered from delusions of reality. He couldn't last anymore visions or flashes—whatever they were called. They had taken an enormous toll on his mind and body. They were killing him, draining him, of his energy.

His muscles tensed in the water and his lungs began burning. He twitched uneasily, nervously even. A swarm of bubbles escaped him as his mouth opened desperately in an attempt to gather more oxygen. He kicked and struggled instinctively, trying to escape the trap he'd set for himself.

In the back of his mind, he knew how to escape. His instinct was blind to the answer. Instinct could only guide the body so much. When encountering something dangerous the first instinct is to run away from it, not towards it. The only way out was for him to drag his body down under the log. He knew this. His instinct didn't.

He struggled all the more, black tendrils seeking the corners of his consciousness. His lungs were filling with water. He was tired. Too tired now. His eye lids slowly drooped over his hazel eyes as he began to settle into a half-life state.

A hand pressed against his cheek and it was cold and comforting at the same time. He leaned into the touch and another hand rested on the center of his plastron before sliding lower, somehow not stopping at the point where the log held him pinned against the rock. It brushed against his lower plastron and he dropped his head at the touch as it sent chills throughout his body.

He shifted in place as soft lips pressed against his throat, trailing up to the corner of his mouth before a breath ghosted over his cheek. Something deep rumbled in his chest in response.

The hand on his cheek slipped away only to clamp onto his upper thigh tightly.

He gasped; a burst of bubbles escaped his open mouth.

He shivered as the touches suddenly faded away. His eyes fluttered open tiredly to meet the sharp green gaze before him on a pale blur.

Fauna.

Her hair floated in the water behind her, a shimmering inky black in the dark water. Her pale skin glowed in the dark. He opened his mouth to speak to her. To tell her how much he wanted her.

She smiled softly and warmly, and had he been more lucid, he would have seen past the delusion, as Fauna could not smile like that. She had always been gritty and tempered.

He watched her with tired eyes. She drifted closer and placed her hands on his shoulders, digging sharply into his skin.

Someone was calling his name. Close by.

He breathed in, trying to pull her scent from the water only for water to fill his lungs. He choked as his lungs struggled to pull oxygen out of the water and failed. He closed his eyes and struggled to find her scent.

His name was called again in a more shrill tone.

He recognized the note of danger in the voice and cursed himself as he pulled away from her and dragged his body out from under the log. His eyes didn't turn to the woman below, trying not to acknowledge her, because he knew he would go back whether she was real or not. He kicked up, breaking the surface of the water with a strangled gasp, coughing and sputtering water. His chest heaved and he trembled uncontrollably. He crawled out of the water, dragging himself out with his hands. He rested on his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. He exhaled and his thoughts turned to Fauna. He shivered with an ache of being unable to sate himself with her.

He turned his head to the fissure in the ceiling of his cavern at the sound of something snapping followed by a worried cry of panic. All thoughts of the woman in the water dissipated.

Leonardo rose to his feet and sprinted towards the sound, leaping as a slim figure fell through the vines that draped through the fissure in the ceiling. He caught the slender woman in his arms, landing in a roll and rising into a crouch. His chest heaved from the exertion of the swift rescue.

He glanced at the woman in his arms and stiffened. Startled green eyes met haunted hazel ones.

"Leo." She sighed in relief.

He could only stare at her green eyes, memories he couldn't suppress rushed to the surface and he trembled. He allowed her to rise to her feet and he moved back swiftly, straightening to his full height.

"You shouldn't be here, April." He said, turning away from her, hiding his tormented expression from her.

"Leo, I came to find you." She said softly, approaching his turned shell and placing a hand on his shoulder. He fought the need to shrug off her touch. She studied him carefully, biting her lip as her mind put together the situation.

"Why did you come looking for me?"

She frowned. "No one knows what happened to you. So I," she began.

"No." He said calmly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. "Why are _you_ here looking for me?"

She took a step back, dropping her hand to her side. She didn't understand what he meant by that question, or what he meant at all. She couldn't recognize the blue masked turtle before her past anything but his skin, and even that looked pale and bruised.

He turned around to face her, noticing her silence. His hazel gaze looked her over, a fierce flame igniting in those orbs, only to die away instantly. He shook his head and turned away, moving towards an old log lit by the light that filtered through the fissure in the cavern ceiling. He muttered darkly under his breath, lowering himself into a sitting position on the log that used to creak under his weight.

April watched cautiously, unsure of what to do. He was changed, definitely. She was sure he'd be different after two years in the wilderness of the jungle, but this... this was more than that.

"Just tell me if they're dead." Leo wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Four years spent away from his family when it should have been one. The first two had been a series of mistakes from a time when he'd been too naive to do anything else but believe in someone. The next two had been his sentencing. His own Hell.

He glanced up at April, standing in the shadows of the cave, watching him carefully and gauging him... as a threat. He glanced aside. She could be real, unlike that thing in the water that was his mind's conjuring of Fauna. She could be more than a memory this time. If so, he should act normal-whatever that had been. Did he even remember that past the violence and pain? It wouldn't matter. He glanced back at her. What was it that he would have done in the past to ease a pressed situation. Smile. That's it. How did one smile? Did he remember how to do that?

The corners of his lips creased upwards. He smiled. Apparently it wasn't as hard as he thought it would be. "I'm sorry, April, it's been a rough few years. I'm just... tired and well... it's a jungle out here." He said in a more calm and soft tone though his voice sounded raspy and cracked when he spoke.

She seemed to ease at that and slowly approached, her features melting into an understanding expression. "It's okay, Leo, I'm here. I'm here to bring you back home… to New York."

He paused at that, staring at her silently. "New York." He echoed before shaking his head and looking away. "I don't think I belong there anymore."

Her face fell at his words and she moved forward kneeling in front of him, one hand on his knee. "Leo, don't say that. You belong with us. With your brothers."

He didn't meet her gaze. "I can't go back a failure." He said simply, and the severity of his situation was not impressionable.

She bit her lip and gently squeezed his knee. "Leo, your brothers need you. I'm sure they'll understand."

He glanced back at her before shaking his head. "Sure. They're better off without me, right now. Believe me."

Her mouth twitched a fraction of a second before her hand flashed out and slapped him across his cheek. The slap echoed in the cave and a few bats chattered worriedly, flitting from stalagmite to stalagmite.

He turned to look at her in surprise only to meet her venomous glare.

"I didn't come all this way to hear you throw a pity party, Leo. You have no idea what your family is going through." She snapped bitterly. She noticed his haunted features and sighed as she lowered her tone of voice into something far more soothing. "Leo, you need to stop hiding here and meet your family. They need their brother. They're lost without you."

Leonardo stood up abruptly, moving past her, his head bowed low. "You don't understand. You couldn't understand why I can't go back."

She turned, rising to her feet. "Then make me understand."

He shook his head and April noticed how her hand, the one that had been on his knee, was now damp. She glanced from her hand to him and noticed his dripping and trembling form for the first time. He shivered and stood silent and frozen at the water's edge. His hazel gaze glimmered in the dark and glassy surface of the pool. Two orbs of light in a field of shadowy black.

She stared, not entirely certain of what he had done before she had fallen through the cavern's sky-light, but certain that it had been something unnaturally wrong.

"Leo," she began softly.

"Leave." He said in a tone of voice that made her take a step back, on the edge of a log. She gave a startled sound as she fell, screwing her eyes shut instinctively as she careened back head-first. She stopped falling suddenly and slowly opened her eyes, meeting the cold hazel gaze of Leonardo.

He held her in his arms, having saved her from falling and cracking the back of her skull against the slate ground. One of his knees was pressed to the ground as he knelt there. Her green eyes glowed brilliantly in the dark and he stared into their depths, consumed by that which was similar and yet not at the same time. His right arm cradled her shoulders while his left arm curled around her mid section with his hand pressed against the small of her back. His breaths came out raggedly and he trembled as he stared into her eyes.

Her form flickered between April and Fauna. He wore a desperate expression on his features as Fauna's image became froze over her. He couldn't believe it—didn't want to. He knew it was a vision. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to stop believing in it.

She swallowed and patted his forearm gently. "Thank you, Leo." She said awkwardly as she tried to rise to her feet only to find herself trapped in his arms.

He did not move, frozen by something deep in his mind that whispered dark things to him. Her eyes went wide as she recognized the lost look on his features. He wasn't here with her. The fallen leader was somewhere lost in his own mind, in his memories with someone else. He pressed her close to his body and she stiffened.

"Leo, let me go."

He pressed her to his plastron, tucking his face into the nape of her neck and breathing in her scent. "I wasn't sure if it was you." He murmured.

April pushed against him, struggling to break free. "Leo, snap out of it! Let me go!" She cried out, trying to break through to the friend she knew.

He pushed her to the ground roughly, his hazel eyes blazing with a long dead flame. His hands gripped her upper arms tightly, pinning her to the floor as he straddled her. "You can't leave me again." He whispered darkly as he glared down at the woman beneath him, leaning low over her and breathing heavily, his eyes burning vibrantly.

"You can't expect me to let you go again. You're all that's left." He breathed heavily.

April screamed in panic and lashed out wildly, her hand swung out-nails sinking into skin.

The weight on top of her vanished swiftly as the blue masked terrapin's head whipped aside from the strike, three thin lines of blood followed in a spray. He stumbled back to his feet. He slipped on the slick shale ground and fell back. The back of his skull smacked against the ground and his vision went black for a moment before he groaned and struggled to sit up. His vision was blurred and doubled. He fell back to one elbow and shook his head. His hazel eyes turned to April and she faded from Fauna to April in a hazy mess. He struggled to formulate words, his tongue unable to move to articulate his thoughts. Pain thundered through his skull as his elbow gave out. The side of his head smacked into the ground with another cracking sound that echoed in the cavern. He laid still; his chest was the only movement his body made. It rose and fell slowly as he lay prone on his side. His eyes were closed and blood welled from the scratches on the side of his face.

April stared, her heart beat wildly in her rib cage. She wasn't entirely certain what had happened. She slowly rose to her feet, her boots crunched on the shale and she flinched at the sound. She swallowed back her nervousness and cautiously approached the unconscious turtle.

"Leo?" She whispered, and a part of her hoped he wouldn't answer.

Her shoulders sagged with relief as he failed to move. She hesitantly knelt by his side and glanced over the back of his head. There was bruising but no real trauma. She bit her lip as she straightened to her full height. She was certain it wasn't him who attacked her, but something else that had twisted his mind and warped it into something unstable and dangerous. This wasn't the young person she'd come to know over the years.

And yet she wanted nothing to do with him now. She blamed him for the wild attack. How could she not?

She shrugged off her pack and sifted through it, removing a parcel and setting it on the ground next to him. She tugged it back on and backed away from Leo, not wanting to be near him. She hoped that whatever Don had put into the parcel could shake Leo's mind, because the blue masked turtle was not himself and a threat to her own safety.

She stared at his still form for a moment longer.

A voice in her head screamed at her to flee, but he was still hurt. She could plainly see that he had suffered a concussion, but she didn't want to touch him or be anywhere near him. What if he awoke and leapt at her again? She would be powerless to stop him. He was stronger, faster, and could kill her if he so wished it. Who was she to deny him what he wanted when he could simply take it from her?

She flexed her hands nervously, fighting between her compassion and her fear.

Leo had never displayed any physical desire for her before now. Did two years alone make him desperate for something intimate? As far as she knew, none of the turtles had been intimate with anyone before. Did that mean that they would all leap at the first chance? She hadn't ever thought about it before, simply assuming that they had no sexual drive.

She dared not turn her back on him, unconscious or not. A part of her, deep down in the darkest recesses of her mind, hoped he wouldn't wake up. She smothered the thought, ashamed at the dark hope.

She did agree with Leo on one thing: he did not belong in New York.  
.,.,.,.

April sat alone in the darkest corner in a local bar, her eyes set on the satellite phone flat on the table in front of her. Her arms rested on the ragged and worn wood of the table. She rubbed the bruises on her arms in the shape of three fingered hands and swallowed back the lump in her throat. She could still feel his hot breath on her face and the feel of his bulk on top of her, crushing her.

She shivered and ran her hands through her hair in anxiety. His eyes were what scared her the most. They had been hazel pools of intensity and were so starkly bright and furious in the dark and dampness of the cave. She shook her head and rubbed the heels of her hands into her eyes.

Leo had tried forcing himself on her.

She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't been the one he chose to attack.

She remembered Don's words. His warning to be careful around Leo had flown out of her thoughts. She had shrugged it off, but she now understood it all too well.

She wanted to go home. Now. Leo had tried to do the unspeakable to her. If she hadn't fought back, how far would he have gone? How much damage would he have done?

She knew he hadn't been lucid at the moment. The entire meeting with him had been estranged. There was something undoubtedly and seriously wrong with him.

She picked up the phone and dialed a number before lifting it to her ear. She waited, rubbing the bruises on her right arm absentmindedly.

"Yo, what's up, babe?"

"Casey," she sighed in relief at the sound of his voice on the other line. "Casey, it's so good to hear your voice."

"Woah, something up?"

She bit her lower lip. "I found Leo."

"Wow, that's great! I knew you could! Is he coming back?"

"Casey," she began softly, closing her eyes and feeling the anxiety of such a possibility occurring weigh down on her.

There was a silent pause on the other line. "April, what's wrong?"

She exhaled and wondered if she really should tell him. This was Leo she was talking about. It's not as if he really did anything to her, though he could have. If she told Casey, then Casey would tell the others. There would be arguing. There would be fighting. Something horrible would happen. She knew it.

She swallowed back the ugly incident. "I don't think he's coming back."

"What? Why? Didn't you explain to him how weird things have gotten?"

"I tried." She sighed. "He isn't adjusted for the city anymore, Casey. He's," she began, but was unable to foster the right words to explain it.

"He's what?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "I don't know. Something's just... missing."

She heard him sigh. "Well, maybe he just needs some time. Does he know bad things have gotten with the guys?"

"Casey," she began, not wanting to continue the conversation. "Did you take care of the crate I shipped to New York from Manaus?"

He paused and she could sense his frown as he knew she was changing the subject. "Yeah," he sighed.  
.,.,.,.,.

"What was it like?"

He blinked and glanced aside at the man that acted as his partner. His pale hazel eyes turned back to the building across the busy road. His expression was calm and devoid of emotion. He knelt on one knee, bracing his arm on his thigh as he kept watch over the construct.

"I already told you to shut up once, Acura. I better not have to say it again." Viktor hushed the individual. He stood straight, spine erect, and shoulders squared. He turned to Leonardo who knelt beside their newest partner. A single katana was strapped to Leo's shell; the blue wrap on the hilt was faded and worn. Leonardo's emerald green skin was crisscrossed with scars. One starkly silver scar encircled his right arm above the elbow. It was jagged and looked as if it had healed wrong. The blue strip of material that was his mask was wrapped around his upper thigh.

"Come on, you guys haven't breathed a word about it! What was it like? How did it affect the stars?"

Viktor whirled on Acura only for a female voice to interrupt him.

"Blame the crotch socket sitting next to you. If he hadn't been fucking my sister, we'd probably still have the stars and be in South A right now." Flora commented from her place behind them, leaning against a tool shed. Acura glanced from her to Leonardo.

Leo didn't flinch, he watched the building intently.

Viktor gave Flora a warning glance.

"No," she hissed at Viktor, her eyes turning to Leo. "He got her killed, he collapsed the Gate, and all of us could have died back there. He shouldn't be here with us on a mission. He can't even pay his own damn price. It takes him at least five hours to get the stupid thing done and even then, he almost passes out. What use is he here? You have the same power and you can pay your price with a fucking bowl of ice cream. Why do we need him?"

Leo stood and turned to her, his hazel eyes were dull and flat. "Because I can kill without using my power and I'm a master of stealth and subterfuge whereas you call on your birds to get the job done. I am more efficient than you will ever be." He said in a flat tone, his stance betrayed nothing. He didn't care what she thought, so long as she did not disrespect him or underestimate him in front of the others.

Viktor and Acura exchanged hesitant glances.

Flora glared at him. "If you're so damn efficient, why couldn't you save her and why couldn't you," she began.

"Stop squabbling. Our target has arrived." Viktor said, nodding to the penthouse of the building that was now glowing as the inhabitants flicked on the lights.

Leonardo and Flora glared at each other before nodding and moving at Viktor's word. The four Contractors moved silently, leaping from the rooftop. Flora's eyes sparked red, as did Viktor's. Birds swarmed over Flora and Acura's body in a squirming wave of black feathers, leaving nothing of the two Contractors visible underneath. Their beaks and talons hooked onto the two Contractors and pulled them towards the side of the building.

Leonardo's hand clasped onto Viktor's forearm as Viktor's hand clasped over his own. A black shadowy cable shot out of Viktor's palm, sinking into the concrete exterior of the building. The duo swung up on momentum, the wind whipped at their forms as the balls of their feet hit the wall of the building. Leonardo released his grip on Viktor and clung to the edge of a large window instead. The shadow cable wrapped around Viktor and he leaned back, his eyes turning to Flora and Acura.

Leonardo clambered onto the thin ledge and lightly pressed a hand to the glass. He removed a thin blade from the wrap on his wrist along with a pick. He set to working the window lock and it clicked within a few seconds. He slipped his lock picking tools into his wrap and slid the window open. He silently slipped inside. Pale hazel eyes scanned the dark room. It was empty but for several desks and computers. He glanced out the window to where Viktor now clung and waved the Russian Contractor in. Viktor slid in, crouching down beside him and slipping the window shut. He locked it behind himself and the two moved swiftly. Viktor kept to the rear, allowing Leonardo to lead the way, as he was more experienced and skilled in infiltration.

Leo moved to the door and went still beside it. He could hear the heavy footsteps in the hallway. He opened the door slowly and nodded to Viktor, motioning for the Contractor to be ready. He whipped the door open and snatched an overweight human male by the collar of his shirt. The man opened his mouth to shout but Leonardo's other hand quickly fell over the mouth and he pulled the struggling human into the room. The door eased shut and Leonardo twisted the man's head swiftly with a snapping sound. The man's flailing arms fell to his sides as he suddenly went deathly still. Leo pulled the body behind a desk and moved back to the door, pushing it open and creeping into the hall. Viktor followed close behind, eyes scanning the ceiling for cameras. Leo paused, pressing his shell to the wall as they approached a corner. He listened intently for the heavy breaths of a tired security guard. He heard nothing and dropped into a roll to the other side of the adjoining hall. He stood up and peeked around the corner before motioning for Viktor to mirror his movements.

Viktor nodded in reply, acknowledging that he understood. Leo paused for a moment and leapt out into the hallway, Viktor following a split second later. The duo sprinted, Leonardo leading. Leo ducked into a roll forward as a camera rotated to face them. Viktor followed suit and came to his feet behind Leo. They both dodged aside, pressing to the wall as another camera rotated and faced the hall. They stood frozen for a short moment before slipping around another corner. Leo nodded to Viktor and pointed out the elevator doors across the hall. The two cautiously approached the doors and they put their fingers into the cracks before pulling. They managed to pry the doors apart with a soft creaking sound, opening a view of the elevator shaft. Leo moved in first, gripping the walls with his fingers and hooking his toes on to the ledge. Viktor moved beside him and Leo gripped his belt at the backside while Viktor pushed the doors shut. Leo pulled Viktor back to the safety of the wall and returned to gripping a ledge on the wall of the elevator shaft.

Viktor tapped an earpiece. "Flora, are you and Acura in position?"

"Yeah, could you hurry it up? It's fucking cold and the rookie won't shut the hell up."

"You should've brought real clothes instead of a skin tight jump suit then." Was Viktor's response. "We'll be there shortly. You should tell her about the novel you're writing, Acura. Flora loves a good suspense."

"Fuck you, Vik."

"Ah ah, you'll need to take me to dinner first." Was his reply before he dropped his hand to his side and glanced at Leo. "You good to use your ability?"

Leo nodded and both of their eyes sparked red. A faint blue outline glowed about their bodies before being smothered by shadows.

Their shadows whipped about wildly and both dug into the wall with hooked shadow spikes adorning their hands and feet. They glanced at each other and Viktor smirked. "See you at the top, fifty Euros say I win."

"Fifty Euros say you're too old." Leonardo replied before digging his spikes in and nearly flying up the shaft.

"Fucking cheater." Viktor muttered as he followed suit.

Leonardo's spikes dissipated as he reached the top and he leapt up onto the ledge. He paused as Viktor leapt up beside him and the duo pried the doors apart. They exchanged a glance before sprinting down a short hallway. Their feet padded softly on the wooden floor. The two burst through a set of glass doors and into a spacious office complete with windowed walls.

A single man was pressed against the back of his desk, a hand gripping the back of a chair with white knuckles. He wore a business suit and his eyes were wild with shock.

Viktor moved forward while Leo hung back near the door.

The man's eyes narrowed and he regained his composure. "Whoever you're working for, I can double what they're paying you."

Viktor continued moving forward, his boots making soft indentations in the carpet. His eyes were flat and devoid of sympathy. He didn't seem to hear the man's offer.

The business man exhaled a tense breath. "I don't want to get your people hurt. You are not the bad guys, you need to understand this. You're the victims here. I just want to help you."

Viktor's eyes sparked red.

"Dammit. Flock." The man uttered quickly as he backed away from Viktor.

A man in black appeared in front of Viktor and a fist struck the Russian Contractor's cheek with a crack. Viktor stumbled back and shadows leapt over his body instinctively.

Leonardo moved forward only for an invisible arm to wrap around his throat and jerk him back. He instinctively gripped the forearm of his assailant with an iron grip. He threw his free arm back, slamming his unpadded elbow into the side of his assailant's rib cage with a crack. The grip on him vanished and Leo whirled around only for his head to be gripped between two gloved hands and pulled down to meet the knee of his assailant.

Leonardo threw his shoulder forward and his shell barreled into the assailant, knocking his attacker down. Leo reached over his shoulder and unsheathed his katana, pale hazel eyes on his opponent. The assailant stood and shook himself off before leveling a calculated stare on Leo. The terrapin sprinted at him and the attacker's eyes sparked red just before his form winked out of view. Leonardo came to a sudden halt and his blade flashed out, sparkling silver in the dark. A spray of blood followed it as the blade sliced cleanly through an arm. The limb thumped to the ground at his feet.

The assailant became visible again, trembling and clutching his spurting shoulder. "You don't even know what's going on. You're just another puppet. You don't see what they're doing." The wounded Contractor spat out at Leo. The terrapin eyed him for a moment before his blade swung out, cutting through the man's throat. Leo turned and spotted Viktor pushing the other Contractor aside. Leo's eyes were on the businessman who stood near the window.

Viktor pressed a hand to his earpiece as he sprinted at the businessman.

"Pop the weasel." He ordered.

"Worst code phrase. Ever." Was Flora's response.

A blast of blazing blue energy struck the window and shattered it, sending shards of glass flying past the businessman, who drew in on himself as he shied away from the window. A dark and winged form leaned in through the window and snatched him by the collar of his coat. The man screamed out just as he was torn out of the building and into the night sky. Viktor leapt out of the gaping and jagged break in the window, diving down.

Leo moved to follow suit. Arms wrapped around his neck and pinned his arms. They dragged him back and tightened around his slender throat. Leonardo fought against them, his feet struggling to keep him upright as they dragged him back. His pulse pounded in his skull as he fought.

His katana was torn out of his hand. He stiffened and his eyes sparked red. Shadows leapt out and swarmed onto his body. He struck out wildly like a trapped animal. The grip around his throat tightened and he spun on his feet, aided by the shadows that formed a slick layer atop his skin. Two bodies hit the floor. Tendrils of shadow leapt out from his body and struck those that still circled him. Bodies were impaled and struck the ground soon after. Darkness flooded the room, swirling angrily. He reached out with the shadows and crushed a Contractor that stood behind him. The cracking and crunching of bones came from behind him and he knew the Contractor was dead. The red spark faded from his eyes and the shadows retreated back to the corners and recesses of the room.

Leo heaved a great deep breath and scooped up his katana as he made to sprint for the break in the windows. Something wrapped around his ankle and harshly tugged him to the ground on his plastron. He grunted on impact and rolled onto his shell, throwing his katana out in front of him as he did so. An invisible blade clashed against his own.

A slim male figure swung into the room through the broken window and struck the assailant off of Leo. He stood defensively in front of Leo as the terrapin stood. "Didn't think I'd leave without you, did ya'?"

"I considered it." Leo commented dryly as he gripped the back of Acura's jacket and leapt back, into the cold night air, tugging his partner along with him.

~.~.~

His eyes, pale and hazel, were set on the floor under his feet. He stared into nothing. He sat on the edge of the bed, tense as a trap. His forehead was beaded with sweat and he closed his eyes with an exhale as he began again. He raised his right hand to the side of his head and tapped a finger against his cheekbone in an even rhythm. A floorboard creaked in the hallway and his eyes flicked open at the sound. His hazel gaze drifted to the door that joined his room with another. He listened quietly at the sound of soft footsteps in the adjoining room. He recognized the footfalls and turned his gaze back to the floor. His finger continued tapping, remaining in rhythm.

There was a soft beeping sound from the coffee maker sitting on the night stand next to him and he flinched, his finger slowed its tap by half a second. He paused and dropped his head into his hand, sweat streamed down his forehead. His shoulders sagged and he swallowed back the bile that had risen in his throat. He heaved several ragged breaths.

The door between his room and the other opened with a creak. "Hey, you got any more soap in there?" Flora asked from the doorway. Leo's eyes snapped up to her. "Get out." He snapped sharply.

She rolled her eyes and slammed the door shut. "Dick." She muttered behind the door.

He closed his eyes and dropped his gaze back to the floor. He heaved another breath and his hands dropped to his sides. He lifted a single digit in preparation to begin again.

The door creaked open.

"Flora, get the hell out, now." He snarled as his hazel eyes darted towards the door. He paused. A slim woman stood at the door. Her hair was long and brown. Her eyes were the same soft brown color. Her skin was copper toned, as if she had been made of smoothed clay.

She entered the room silently, not saying a word. The only sound came from her movements. She held her hand out at him, a pocket watch rested flatly on her palm. He stared at her a moment before taking it. He could feel the resonating gears at work within the watch.

"Thank you." He said after a moment. She nodded and entered the bathroom, grabbing a box of soap, before exiting the bathroom and his room. The door closed behind her with a click.

Leonardo lifted the pocket watch to the side of his head and pressed the cool surface against his skin. He listened to the pleasant sound of the gears ticking inside of the watch and relaxed as he pulled it away. He sighed and leaned his shell against the wall behind the bed.

.,.,.,.,.  
Night had fallen over the jungle, awakening more animals than sending them to slumber. The excited chatter of bats began and they flitted to and fro within the cavern before flying over a prone emerald skinned figure and swarming out of the cave through the fissure in the ceiling.

Leonardo's eyes flickered open tiredly. His head pounded and his pulse throbbed through his temples. He groaned as he eased himself into a sitting position, one hand on the back of his head and gently probing at the painful bruise there. His hazel gaze rose to scan the area around him, searching for any hidden dangers. There were none. He paused and attempted to recollect his thoughts and found that it hurt to think. He shook his head and grunted as he stumbled to his feet, barely able to balance himself.  
He straightened slowly, head reeling. Leo stiffened as he remembered he hadn't been alone in the cavern. Someone had been here with him. He was certain of it. It had been a woman. Long black hair, pale skin, and green eyes. No. Not black hair. It had been red. Who did...? April.

He felt the bump on the back of his head. What had happened to April? Where was she now? He whirled around at the sound of a ripple. He spotted his katanas resting on the shale ground. He was on edge. He needed to remain calm. He needed to pick apart the situation.

His eyes wandered over the cavern and he took a step forward. His foot hit something and he glanced down, spotting a small wrapped parcel. He knelt low, nearly falling over as he did so, and cautiously inspected it. He pulled a string and watched the wrapping fall off neatly. He slowly opened the box and froze before lifting a photograph from the box. He stared.

Four small turtles sat on a worn out mattress, sleeping and huddling together for warmth as the eldest held a book. The child didn't know how to read yet, he had only been telling a story of his own. The other three looked on to their elder brother, entranced by the story he unfolded.

The photograph slipped out of his hand, gently drifting to the damp ground.

He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled in an attempt to gather his strength. He lifted another photograph from the parcel and the corner of his mouth twitched.

His brothers were older. Much older. Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello sat on a couch with candy canes in their mouths and Santa hats on their heads. The trio smirked at him. Two blue-hilted katanas rested on their laps. His elderly father stood behind them, wearing yet another Santa hat, and smiling. Leonardo's eyes drifted back to the parcel and he lifted a paper with spidery thin handwriting on it.

_Leo,_

_If you're reading this, then April was successful in finding you. There are far too many things for me to say than can fit on this scrap of paper. I don't know what you've been busy doing in the jungle for two years, but you need to come home already. We need you. You have no idea how bad things are getting here._

_Raph won't speak to us. He's never around anymore. It's almost like you took him with you when you left. He sleeps all day and is out doing who knows what at night. I can't keep track of him at this rate. I'm struggling here._

_Splinter isn't doing much better. He meditates all day, and rarely manages restful sleep. He's stressed. I fear he may suffer a stroke or worse soon. He's worrying me, as is most of our family._

_I'm barely able to keep up with my duty to our family since your pilgrimage. I'm no leader. I juggle your job between my job and working to bring food to the table. I'm stressed out. I can't sleep. I need some help._

_Mikey's the only one able to keep me sane these days. He always puts on a smile and has a joke ready for us, but I can tell that it's a charade. He misses our family. He misses what we were. I'm afraid he's cracking. He's tried keeping us all together for so long, that I think he's going to break down._

_I'm sure you've already seen our Christmas picture from last year. You weren't in it, again. We used your katanas to have something of you here. It was the most we had. You're coming up on three years being away from us. When are you coming home? Are you planning on coming back at all?_

_I don't care what it is that you think you need to prove to us. Just come home. Please. We need you._

_ Your brother,_

_ -Don_

Leo closed his eyes and bowed his head. His brother, Donatello, had contacted him. Don had written to him. His brothers were alive. His father was alive. They were all alive. Why had he forced himself to wonder if they were? Why hadn't he just gone home and assured himself?

Had he been that much of a coward? Was he really that afraid of confronting his failure as a leader, a brother, and a son? He was certain that he was. He knew he was a coward. He was a fool. He was selfish to think that he could live on his own in an attempt to forget his mistakes.

He opened his eyes and stared at the photograph, eyeing his brothers and his father for a long moment. He stood slowly, straightening to his full height.

If he went back, he could right many wrongs. He could repair the damage he'd caused. He could face his own nightmares if he knew his brothers were alive and near. He glanced aside.

Raphael could kill him.

He tensed at the thought but immediately shrugged it off. His brother wouldn't kill him. Leo wouldn't give him the reason to do so. Leo would be careful. He would fix his wrongs. He would save his crumbling family.

And yet, it didn't seem so impossible. Raphael could kill him. It really could happen, whether he gave Raph a reason or not. But wasn't that a risk he was just going to have to take? His family was all he had left. He'd already screwed them over once. He couldn't do it again.

If he died at the hands of his brother in the process, so be it. He'd already died once, what was it to him on the second time around?

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the huge delay, but it was extra long, so that's something. I hope y'all liked it. It was a heck of a mess to write.**


	3. Umbra

"Hello, this is Don from Omnitech, how may I help you?" Donatello said tiredly, resting his elbow on the armrest of his chair. He lounged lazily in the chair, turning it back and forth as he stared up at the ceiling. The lights in the lair were out. It was just two hours past midnight. Don blinked sleepily and popped another caffeine tablet into his mouth with his free hand. The tablets would keep him awake for a few more hours, long enough for him to finish his shift.

"Mhmm. Can you tell me what model that is, sir?"

He glanced aside at the sound of footsteps. His older brother had a bag slung over his shoulder. Raphael's shoulders hung low and he looked like he'd barely gotten any sleep. Don frowned and forced his tired body to sit up, wincing as his aching muscles protested at the movement.

Raphael's amber gaze turned Don's way at the movement and he paused on the stairway, staring at his brother.

They watched each other, gauging each other silently. Don slid the control on his headset to mute.

"Where are you going?"

Raph rolled his eyes. "Does it matter? I'm going out."

Don's brows rose without amusement. "Really?"

Raph shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose."

The purple masked turtle shook his head and sighed. "Is this really what you want?"

"What I _want_ is to have no part of this stupid conversation. What crawled up your shell?" Raph replied with a frown, making his irritation obvious.

"If you're going to be an ass then just go, Raph. It's not like you'd understand the consequences of your actions. You'll just slink back into your room to sleep it off while I take responsibility for your continued reckless behavior. It's no wonder Leo never," Don began but abruptly cut himself off, biting back his words.

Raphael laughed and fixed a glare on Don. "Oh, finish your sentence, Don. What were you going to say? Leo isn't back because he's tired of my shit, is that right? That's what you wanted to say, right? Come on, Don. Say it."

Don raised both of his hands in surrender and shook his head in disgust.

Raph's amber eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He continued his descent down the stairs and headed for the lair's entrance. Don followed him with his eyes before sighing and turning to his computer screens.

Raphael paused at the entrance. He turned to glare at the back of Don's chair. "You aren't Leo, and you aren't my leader. Quit trying to be his replacement. It was bad enough when he was here." He snapped bitterly before disappearing out the entrance of the lair.

Donatello stared at his lap for a moment before turning the mute control off.

"Of course, sir. You'll need to plug the HDMI cable into the HDMI port on the back of the CPU for the monitor to work."

.,.,.,.

Acura cautiously crept into the room behind his partner. A carbine was held limply in his left hand and supported by his right. His jet black hair had been cut short to the military standard: no sideburns, hair off the collar and not touching his ears. His soft and smooth features betrayed his youth. His tender hazel eyes glanced the dark room over before settling on the figure standing in front of him.

Acura rose to his full height behind his seasoned partner and closed the door behind them. He tapped away at the keypad, setting the locks on the door. He turned and yawned as he did so.

"So, Trench," he began.

Leonardo turned and glanced over his shoulder at Acura.

"You ever heard of a 'Buddy-buck'?" Acura asked calmly, one hand resting on his hip and his rifle resting on his shoulder.

Leo stared silently before heading past several shelves stacked with military grade gear. Acura followed him at a steady pace. "So is that a yes or a no?"

"Need I remind you of where you stand on the totem pole? The others barely take you seriously as it is. You need to keep these questions in your head."

"No need to be a dick about it. I'm just saying—these Buddy-buck things are crazy. I gotta get my hands on some. Jack was telling me about them," Acura went on.

"You trust Jack with this type of stuff?" Leo wondered aloud as he turned a corner, his pale hazel gaze searching the shelves for a set of serial numbers he had memorized.

"Well, no, but I checked on Wikipedia and it looks legitimate."

Leo halted and turned to face the rookie. "Acura."

He froze and stared at Leo, as the other Contractor never called him by his name.

"There are others who would like your place. They would kill you to take it." Leonardo spoke calmly.

Acura glanced away for a moment, considering his partner's words. Since he'd become a member of Leo's team, there had been a pay increase and plenty of perks to go with it. He hadn't considered what the other Contractors might be feeling about it.

He tapped his free hand on his thigh in thought. Leonardo watched him silently, knowing exactly what Acura was thinking about—having been there at one point. He'd been a rookie once. Before he'd become a Contractor, it was always the worst jobs and the worst perks. He had risen through the ranks, watching warily as the other Contractors wiped the blood from their hands, ready to moisten them again in a crimson lather. He had known what would happen should he drop his guard.

They would have slain him. Easily. It would have been a small personal service, and they would have served it with a smile—if Contractors could sincerely smile.

Leonardo knew. He knew too well of the dangers lurking behind the façade erected by a Contractor's defensive need to pretend. To fit in.

Acura turned back to Leo. "So if I start acting like you, I'd be considered too much of a threat to contend with?"

Leo studied him for a moment before turning his back to Acura. A huff of breath, small amusement, escaped him unheard by his partner. He found Acura's naivety amusing and refreshing. Calm stillness came over him swiftly, wiping away his amusement. He was a Contractor again. "No."

The rookie's shoulders sagged.

"I'm my own person, just as you are. You can't survive by pretending to be something you're not." Leonardo replied quietly. "Just watch yourself or I'll have to."

Acura raised his head at those words and stared at Leo's form. He couldn't believe the words he had just heard from Leo's mouth. He swallowed and opened his mouth to speak.

"Just remember that we're on a job right now. Keep a look out for anymore security guards." Was Leo's strategically placed response, ending the conversation before it turned into something more relaxed—more easygoing. Something reserved for a friend.

Acura sighed and muttered a few choice words as he kept watch, turning his back to Leo. They remained silent; the only sound in the room was the whirring of the giant metal fans built into the ceiling and the rustling sound of Leo moving boxes around.

Leonardo dug through a cardboard box, sifting through uncleared and classified military documents. He pulled a folder out of the box and opened it, reading through a few of the pages that weren't blotted out in black ink.

Acura shifted uncomfortably and sighed. "How can you not know what Buddy-bucks are? Aren't you American?"

He turned to look at Leo as silence met his question. He came face to face with Leonardo, who was suddenly but an inch away, and stumbled back, lowering his weapon and shooting instinctively. Leo shoved the barrel of the weapon to the ground and yanked it out of Acura's grasp. "Quiet." Leo hissed before tossing the weapon back at Acura, who caught it with both hands, a startled expression plastered on his features. Leo turned and shook his head as he headed deeper down the row of shelves. Acura sighed.

"Maybe you shouldn't creep up on me like that if you don't want me to shoot at you." He muttered as he turned around and kept watch. He leaned his shoulder against a shelf and it creaked slightly. His eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

"Oh fuck." He uttered as he leapt away from the leaning shelf.

Leo stood up from his crouched position and leaned back with a grunt, hearing several bones pop. He didn't understand where the files he was supposed to steal had been placed. The organizing system in the warehouse was in need of changes.

He blinked at the sound of a very metallic creaking and turned in the direction he had heard it. He stared as an entire row of shelves tipped back into another row and continued the chain as a domino effect. He blinked and glanced aside at a sheepish and nervous looking Acura. His pale hazel gaze narrowed to slits as there was a sudden cacophony of noise as metal shelves toppled into each other, spilling boxes and their contents on the floor in a mess.

Acura shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands in surrender. "Sorry." He mouthed.

Leo closed his eyes. Acura glanced at the doors they suddenly slammed open, revealing a lone guard wearing plated Kevlar armor and a black trench coat over it. The male guard strode forward with a slow and confident gait. Leo exhaled softly—easing the tension from his body.

"You could cast this guy to play the Terminator." Acura said in disbelief as he moved to Leo's side, leveling the barrel of his rifle on the guard.

The guard's face was covered with a metal face plate. The guard lifted his gloved hands and Acura's trigger finger moved to squeeze.

The guard's right hand shot out, flicking in a circular motion as if he were grasping the air. He drew his hand into his midsection and curled in before flinging his arms out and wriggling his fingers in a smooth set of Jazz-hands. A red line sparked across the guard's face plate.

"What in the actual fuck?" Acura breathed before he and Leo dove to the ground as a flat crimson cone of light blasted above them with a popping sound. They rose to their feet and Acura glanced back, seeing that the crimson blast had melted through the fallen metal shelves and the wall behind them.

"Keep him busy while I find the file in the mess you've created." Leo ordered before turning on his heel and leaping over the fallen shelves.

"I'm sorry!" Acura shouted after him before turning back to the guard.

He sputtered a few choice curses and opened fire on the security guard. The guard dropped to one knee and lifted his Kevlar covered forearm over his faceplate to guard his face. Acura leapt aside as a blast of the same crimson ray burned a hole in the ground he had stood on. He fired several rounds again and ducked into a roll as he evaded yet another ray. He sighed and peered at the guard as the armored male rose to his feet. Acura raised his weapon and fired at the ceiling above the guard. A metal fan dropped from the ceiling and onto the guard with a crashing sound.

Acura smirked and rested his rifle on his shoulder. "Not so tough with one metric ton of metal crushing you, huh?"

His smirk vanished and he lowered his rifle as he took a step back at the sight of a fierce red glow from underneath the metal. "Son of a bitch." He muttered as the metal melted and the figure of the security guard rose from the wreckage.

The security guard tilted his head from left to right, cracking it before he lowered his gaze on Acura. He moved out of the wreckage of the metal fan and started towards Acura, breaking into a sprint.

Acura dropped his gun and stumbled back. "Hey, Trench! You might want to hurry up back there! I don't think I'm very good at keeping this guy busy!"

Acura dodged aside, escaping a grapple and moved back, leaning from left to right to avoid swipes from the guard's hands.

"Use your power." Came the all too calm and quiet reply from Leo as he sifted through a box at the top of the fallen shelves. The terrapin paid Acura's struggle no true attention; instead he focused on finding the designated file. He lifted another folder and sifted through its contents quietly as he crouched down.

Acura's eyes sparked red only to fade away just as swiftly as the guard grabbed him by the waist. "What the fuck," Acura began in a startled voice just as he was lifted into the air in a rendition of a graceful ballet dance.

He was spun around and swiftly kicked the guard's faceplate with the heel of his boot before pushing off and leaping back to land in a crouch a few feet away. His eyes sparked red and he clapped his hands together in the direction of the guard.

A burst of superheated energy blasted from his closed hands and struck the guard, sending the armored Contractor flying into a shelf and spilling more boxes. Acura straightened as he rose to his feet, smirking as the red glow faded from his eyes.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" He muttered as the guard shakily rose to his feet. He turned and spotted his carbine lying on the ground. Acura grabbed it and leapt aside as a flat cone of crimson light melted the ground he had stood on. Acura raised the weapon with one hand, drawing his arm back, before hurling it at the guard.

The guard stumbled back as butt of the rifle hit his faceplate with a clang before bouncing off and clattering to the ground. The security guard shook his head and glared at Acura through his cracked faceplate. Acura blew out a deep breath from between pursed lips. "So, any chance of us talking this out like reasonable adults?"

The guard was silent as he popped his neck. He lowered his gaze on Acura and a thin line of red sparked across the cracked faceplate.

A burst of shadows erupted across the guard's faceplate and caused him to stumble back, arms pin wheeling wildly. Leonardo appeared at Acura's side, shoving a folder into his partner's hands. Acura managed to maintain a hold on the folder, barely catching the papers that fell out as Leo sprinted towards the guard.

Leo unsheathed the katana on his shell as he leapt at the guard. The guard ducked aside and Leo dug his feet into the ground as he spun around, katana striking out and catching the surface of the guard's faceplate. His blade cut a thin line through the metal surface as the guard leaned back to avoid the strike. Leo's eyes sparked red and shadows swarmed over the both of them. Leo rolled free of the shadows and watched the guard stumble through, reeling and disorientated. Leo rose to his feet in a lunge, driving his katana through the underside of the guard's jaw and the only unarmored portion of the guard's body. Blood misted from the stab and the guard slumped, only the blade in Leonardo's grip kept the guard on his feet. Leo yanked the weapon free as he gripped the collar of the guard's trench coat and a line of blood came from the movement, trailing after the silver blade. The guard slipped out of the coat and hit the ground in a lifeless tumble of limbs.

Leo flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing it on his shell. He then sifted through the pockets of the trench coat, searching for anything useful to his situation.

Acura huffed under his breath and approached his partner. "That was showy. Maybe I can use the katana next time." He paused and stared at Leo, studying the terrapin. Leo glanced up at his stare with an expression devoid of emotion.

"You know, that's a good look for you. Totally tsundere." Acura said as he tilted his head to the side, studying Leo and the trench coat. Leo stared at him for a long moment before throwing the trench coat at him. It fell over Acura's head and the rookie Contractor sighed from underneath it as the stolen file was torn out of his grasp by Leo.

"I'll just hold on to it then." Acura sighed.

Acura yanked it off his head and followed Leonardo as the latter sprinted over to a wall of the warehouse. Leo shoved a shelf aside and ignored the sound of the approaching footsteps of a full squadron of guards. "Melt an exit." He ordered.

Acura nodded and threw the trench coat over his shoulder. His eyes sparked red and he pressed his hands flat against the wall. A faint reddish-orange glow emanated under his hands and there was a sizzling sound as the steel began melting. The tip of his tongue peeked out of the corner of his mouth.

Leo glanced back towards the broken doors leading into the warehouse and back to Acura trying to melt through the wall. His mind was whirling with thoughts as he worked through their situation. It was taking too long for Acura to melt through the solid steel wall. Leonardo turned back to the wall and his eyes sparked red.

His form became obscured by shadow and he pressed a hand to the steel wall. Acura noticed and he glanced up, mouth opening to question his partner. Leo's hand phased through the steel and Acura's mouth formed an 'O' in shock as the red faded from his eyes. Leo reached down and gripped Acura's shirt before yanking the rookie through the wall with him.

The duo came out on the other side; Acura stumbled into Leo and stared at his partner with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that? That was fucking-A!"

Leonardo glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. "Do not make mention of this to anyone else." He ordered sharply and Acura nodded, quickly composing himself. He didn't need to be given a follow-up threat. Leonardo was sure enough to kill him if it got out, he knew his partner well enough to know that.

.,.,.,.,.

Leonardo leaned over the trash can, gripping the edges of it with white knuckles. He groaned and wiped at the sweat that beaded his forehead before tasting the acidic bile that came as the precursor to vomit. He leaned in to the trash can, his retching echoed in the metal bin as the contents of his stomach were emptied.

He hated flying. Hated it with a passion.

He straightened, wiping at his mouth with the back of his forearm. His shoulders sagged and he turned to the end of the alley where he received a view of the harbor. Ships rocking gently to the swaying and swelling black ocean. He could hear the bells chime and a wave of nausea ran through him once more. He shook his head and swallowed thickly as he approached the joining of two brick walls and leaned heavily as his hazel gaze scanned the dockside sharply, ensuring that there was no one nearby to watch him.

Leo looked up to the sky. Dark clouds had blotted out the moon and stars. He didn't see any other stars past the thick blanket of darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. He turned and stared at it. The lonely purple star that blazed through the night. The lone witness to his crimes. The only other who knew the truth. His star. His Contractor star.

He pressed a hand over his plastron as his heart thudded against it. He pressed a hand to the wall and bowed his head low as he panted and screwed his eyes shut. An agony filled scream wailed through his skull.

He reeled back, lost in painful memories that twisted his thoughts and turned everything around him dark and sour. He threw himself into a wall, his shoulder slammed into it and he bit back a hiss of pain. He cracked his eyes open and sighed in relief as he was torn out of the memories and freed by the pain.  
He leaned against the wall and bowed his head low. He closed his eyes and calmed his racing heart before straightening and heaving a deep breath.

"It wasn't real." He breathed.

He straightened and opened his eyes, much calmer now that he wasn't in the middle of a flash produced by his crumbling sanity. He shook his head and took a few more calming breaths. He had to move on from it. He knew that these flashes were bound to continue happening. He had to reach his family before he fell into yet another. He didn't know what would happen if he came across a human while he was lost to the world around him. His brothers could better help him and he could help them, though at this point he didn't know how that was supposed to happen. He couldn't do anything without hurting someone.

He shook the thoughts free of his mind and turned to a fire escape, eyeing it silently. He moved towards it and climbed up swiftly, the metal did not creak under his weight as he moved up. He planted a hand on the edge of the rooftop and pushed himself up. He stood on the rooftop and studied the city around him. He nodded, having centered himself and broke into a run. His feet slapped against the stone beneath him and it felt as if he were slipping back into who he was.

His foot came down on the edge of the rooftop and he leapt into the air. The wind whispered as it whistled past him and gently caressed his body. He hit the ground of the other rooftop in a run and sprang up the side of a water tower, clambering along the worn wooden side to rise to the top. He snatched hold of a wire and threw his weight forward, snapping it. He flew through the air on the cable, sailing over several buildings. He released the cable and dropped onto a rooftop in a roll. He rose to his feet in a run, enjoying the exhilaration of the run.

He didn't have the worry of accidentally grabbing onto a dangerous snake, stumbling upon a nest, or interrupting the meal of a territorial predator. This was freedom. This was something he could lose himself in-something to do without thought and only instinct to guide his movements. If he didn't think, his mind couldn't fabricate another distortion of reality.

He leapt off the edge of another rooftop and twisted in the air, taking advantage of the space to perform acrobatic maneuvers. He landed in a crouch and wiped at the sweat of exertion that beaded his forehead. He paused at the sound of muffled grunts. A gunshot froze him in place. His hazel eyes turned in the direction of the sound and he stood, slowly approaching the other side of the rooftop, padding on silent feet. He peered over the edge and watched silently.

Muscles coiled and tensed underneath glistening emerald skin.

His hazel eyes became dull and flat and his mouth became a single grim line as he reached into a pack on his belt and held razor sharp shuriken between his fingers. He drew his hand close to his abdomen and turned his body as he prepared to throw the projectile weapons, his hazel gaze focused on a single intended target.

.,.,.,.,.

Raphael gripped the front of the purse snatcher's shirt in a gloved fist and drew his free hand back, allowing his fingers to curl into a fist. He sneered from behind his metal mask as his fist smashed into the thief's face with a thud, nearly cracking the human's cheek bone. The thief wrapped both hands around Raphael's wrist.

"Please, man, I'll be a good guy! I learned my lesson!" He wept openly. Raph smirked and laughed bitterly before dropping the man and studying the human with a comical tilt of his head.

"Why should I have to be the reason you become a good person, huh?" He asked calmly, resting his hands on his waist. "Why can't you have a sense of decency, clean up your act, and go on with an honest living without having someone like me to beat you up?"

The human wiped at his bleeding nose with his coat sleeve and swallowed thickly, staring at the intimidating figure in the leather and metal armor before him. "It's hard being honest in a country full of selfish bastards who'd rather see ya' dead than see their money going somewhere else."

Raph raised a brow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I know it ain't easy, but it's the hard shit that makes it worthwhile. Go get a real job and quit trying to steal purses or I'll be back to kick your ass." He stated. The human stared at him and nodded as he cautiously rose to his feet. He pressed his back to the wall and slowly inched away, not taking his eyes off of Raphael.

"Hey look, it's the Nightwatcher, guys!" A thick male voice called from the end of the alley. Raph and his former victim turned to see three men, all wielding guns. Raph muttered a curse. He gripped the human's upper arm and moved the young man behind his armored body.

"How much you think we can get for your dead body from the Purple Dragons?" One man laughed.

Raph shrugged and loosened the tension in his neck and shoulders. "I don't know, I'd hope it'd be higher than the usual rate for dead beats." Raph replied from underneath the metal helmet. His voice echoed and reverberated within the metal confines and made him sound much more intimidating than usual. The weighted end of a manriki dropped into his hand with a sly flick of his wrist without the three humans ahead noticing.

One raised a small handgun and pointed the muzzle at him. Raph smirked. "What'cha gonna do with that squirt gun, pal? Haven't you heard the rumors?"

"What rumors?!" Another shouted in a higher pitched voice, betraying a nervous hand. Raph knew he would shoot first.

"Bullets bounce off my dick." Raph said with a wry grin under his helmet before he shoved the human behind him to the ground and flung his manriki out at the nervous human. A gun shot rang out and the bullet flew past Raph's head, missing him by a long shot. The weighted end of the manriki hit the human's hand with a crunch, breaking bones and shattering the man's wrist.

The human clutched his arm as he threw his head back and screamed. The gun clattered to the ground and his fellows stared in horror. Raph flung his second manriki out, hitting the second human in center mass and sending the man flying into a dumpster. Raph's manriki slid back in place on his suit and he took a step towards the last standing human.

The man shrieked and ran, dragging his injured companion along. Raphael chuckled and turned back to the thief. "Alright, you're free to go, pal. Unless you want me to escort you home, that is."

The thief grinned nervously and quickly shook his head. "Eh no, I'm alright there, sir," He began nervously.

His head suddenly whipped back from a shuriken embedded deeply in the center of his skull. The thief collapsed to the ground in a lifeless tumble of limbs. Raphael whirled around in shock, turning in the direction the projectile had come from. Another flew for his face and he raised his arm just in time for it to embed in his armor rather than his face plate. He dropped his arm and cautiously scanned the alley and surrounding rooftops.

He turned just as a dark form drove into his back. He fell flat on his front with a muscular body forcing its knee into the back of his neck. Raph pressed his hands to the ground and pushed and grunted as he managed to throw his attacker off his back. He twisted around, rising to his feet with his fists up only to see no attacker. He whirled around. Nothing. He turned to the darkened portion of the alley and took a step forward. A round object flew at his face and cracked against the visor. The scent of lemon and pepper filled his helmet and he brushed the remains off his faceplate. He cleared the mess from his visor just in time to spot a fist coming at him. Raph moved aside, barely dodging the blow. The attacker spun around, still barely silhouetted in the dark.

Raph threw his own punch and the shadowy assailant moved forward, twisting enough to avoid the strike and driving his open hand into Raph's throat. Raphael threw himself back, using his momentum to swing his opponent over him. He drove both boots into his assailant's abdomen and kicked him over his head.

The shadow twisted as he was thrown, landing in a skid on both feet, one hand braced against the ground.

Raph whirled around and caught his opponent just as the shadow drove into him. The shadow shoved him back a few inches but Raphael was bigger and stronger. Raph pushed against the shadow and drove it to one knee. The shadow moved fluidly, swinging around him as it disengaged. Raph fell forward but righted himself, spinning around and throwing an arm out to block another strike. He deflected the punch and drove another fist at his opponent, striking the shadow with a satisfying crack as fist met face. The shadow's head whipped aside but it moved with the momentum, spinning its entire body to the right.

The back of its leg came up with a motion entirely fluid and alien to Raphael. It came down at the back of Raph's neck and the Nightwatcher went down from the impressive blow. One knee hit the ground. The shadow's leg touched the ground for a brief moment before coming back up to drive the heel of its foot into the back of Raph's helmet. It paused for a moment and Raphael took advantage. He rose to his feet, a powerful uppercut building up in his right fist as he came up. The shadow moved a fraction too late. The blow caught it hard and sent it reeling back. It shook its head wearily and flung a handful of shuriken at Raphael as it moved back, retreated further into the alley. Raph turned his head and shuriken hit and stuck to the shoulder plate of his armor. He turned back and it was gone just as soon as it had come. He stared at the darkness before turning back to the thief. He approached quietly and stared at the human's body.

He shook his head and glared back at the end of the alley, into the darkness. He didn't know who his silent attacker had been, but he knew that the shadowy assailant would not be able to run from him. He turned back to the thief and sighed wearily as he knelt by the human's side and searched through the man's pockets to find some sort of identification. He flipped open a tattered old leather wallet and stared at a picture of a young child with bright eyes and a polite smile. Raph cursed under his breath.

The thief had a kid.

He shook his head and rose to his feet, tucking the photograph into a pocket of his armor. He snapped open the thief's cell phone and dialed a three digit number.

He paused, waiting. "Yeah, operator. There's been a murder. Just trace this number." Raph rehearsed, as if he had made this call far too many times. He closed the phone and tossed it beside the man. He rubbed the back of his neck and his entire body became stiff and tense. "God damn it." He hissed.

"Fuck!" He shouted at the starless sky, throwing his arms out angrily.

His chest heaved and he shook his head. "Fuck." He said in a quieter and more subdued tone.  
.,.,.,.,.

Michelangelo sat on the couch silently. He pointed the remote at the television and flipped through the channels with a bored and tired expression. He glanced at Don, who sat in the armchair next to him. Donatello was slumped over in the chair, exhausted and asleep. His expression was relaxed and his mask hung loosely around his neck. A notebook sat on his lap and a coffee mug hung from his slack fingers. He snored lightly, almost silently in place.

Mikey sighed and turned the television off. Don's eyes flickered open. "Wha?" He began sleepily, glancing at Mikey with lidded eyes. "I'm awake. Let's," he began.

Mikey waved him off and rose to his feet. "Don, Don, Don. Go back to sleep, bro. We'll watch another time."

Don sat up, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. "I'm sorry, Mikey. I'm just really tired."  
Mikey approached with a chuckle. "It's fine, Donnie. You need some sleep." He reached his hand down to Don to help him stand. Don smiled softly and reached up to take it.

A thick body barreled through them, shoving Mikey back and pushing Don into the armchair. Raphael made his way past them, a glower plastered over his features. Mikey glared at his backside. "Dude, what the heck is your problem?"

Raph paused before whirling around with blazing amber eyes.

"The fuck you think, Mikey? We're just sitting down here letting everything go to shit up there." He snapped, pointing a finger up. "Leo still hasn't come back from his fucking spirit journey in the jungle. To top it off, you shits keep bitching at me 'bout dumb shit." Raph snarled. "You take your pick, Mikey."

Don rose to his feet, looking more exhausted than he'd ever been. "Raph," he began.

"Oh don't even fucking start, Don. You're," Raph snarled.

"Enough!" Mikey shouted as he leapt between them, shoving Raph back. "Quit it, Raph. You really want to fight someone right now, then fight me, but Don is too tired. He works all day and all night to keep this place running."

Raph approached slowly, like a dangerous predator. He sized Mikey up with a scan of his eyes as he leaned over the smaller turtle. "You think I don't fucking know that? You think I'm so self-centered that I haven't noticed anything around here?" He hissed.

Mikey didn't back down, he met Raph's glare with his own. "Then why are you fighting us?"

The older turtle snorted and drew back with a shake of his head. "You don't get it. You never do."

Don placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder as he stood next to the youngest. "Why don't you help us understand, Raph? We're all stressed out these days. We should be helping each other instead of constantly bickering."

Raph chuckled bitterly and shook his head as he turned away. "Oh, I don't think so, Don. You two have enough to deal with. I ain't worth the fucking bother."

Mikey started forward with anger on the tip of his tongue only for the grip on his shoulder to tighten. He glanced back at Don.

"Don't. He's home. You'll just set him off and he'll run topside."

Don turned back to the couches and began picking up the strewn wrappers and stray popcorn kernels. Mikey folded his arms in front of his plastron and sighed. "Why don't you do something about him, Don? You're the leader."

Donatello straightened and turned to Mikey, a vexed look fixed on his features. "I'm not the leader. I'm a scientist, Mikey. I don't like leadership, and I wasn't suited for it. Quit making me out to be something I'm not." He shook his head. "I don't know what possesses you to think that I can be the perfect replacement for him?" His voice rose with each word, not rising above the normal tone he would have, but dripping and oozing with festered frustrations and anger. "I'm not Leo, and I have far more important things to do than to be him for the rest of you. You need to quit pretending that I'm him and get used to his absence because it's more than likely that he's dead or just doesn't want to come back."

Don stiffened and stared at his youngest brother, realizing what he had just said. "Mikey, I," he began quickly in much softer tone, eyes filled with guilt.

Mikey shook his head and took a step back. "No. You're probably right, Don." He replied quietly. His eyes flashed fiercely as he shot a glare up at his older brother. "But you're also wrong. It's our duty as his brothers to hope he comes back and be ready for when he does." Mikey spun on his heel and headed upstairs to his own room, leaving Don to reflect on his words.

.,.,.,.

Master Splinter sighed as he stared forlornly at the old framed photograph that he held in his worn hands. His whiskers twitched as his eyes scanned over the face of his eldest son. The edge of his thumb smoothed over Leonardo's smiling face and he sighed again.

He had missed his son since the first day of Leonardo's absence. He had immediately regretted sending one of his children away on such a journey. He could imagine the dangers Leonardo had faced. He could not imagine just how those dangers could have affected his son. Was Leonardo alive? Yes. Splinter was certain of it. His son was an accomplished ninja capable of surviving nearly any situation. But darkness lingered at the edge of such thoughts. Why hadn't Leonardo returned yet? Splinter could still feel some attachment to his son on the spiritual plane, though it was weak and fading away.

His reasons for sending Leonardo away seemed trivial and petty now. He closed his eyes and heaved a heavy breath. He had wanted his sons to become independent of Leonardo. He had seen them depending on the eldest far too much. The journey his son had been told to undertake was only partially for Leonardo's sake but mostly for the other three brothers. Splinter had been of the mind that Donatello would be able to undertake Leonardo's role as the leader for one year.

The aged master pressed a hand to his brow as he considered the past two years. Donatello had succeeded as a leader for one year. He had been able to mediate fights between Michelangelo and Raphael. Donatello had displayed keen ability to scheduling practices. He had been an exemplary leader during that one year. When the time came for Leonardo to return, things had changed. His sons became overcome with a bitterness that had only festered like a gangrenous battle wound. Leonardo had not returned. He had not contacted them once.

It was three days after Leonardo's supposed arrival time that Raphael had come to him. Raphael had pleaded and snapped at him for a chance to journey after Leonardo and bring the eldest back. Splinter had immediately dismissed Raphael and his son had fled their home for a week, only returning every now and again for meals.

After two months, Donatello had entered his room with a logical and solid argument, ready to defend his case and quest to seek the missing brother. Splinter had nearly agreed to his son's convincing and moving plea. Though his need as a father demanded that he have his son returned to him, his instincts as a ninjutsu master fought otherwise. And so he told Donatello that Leonardo would have to return on his own, as he needed more time to clear his mind and free his thoughts in the jungles of South America.

Splinter's ears pricked at a rustle of movement. He lifted his head and dropped his hand to his lap as a familiar scent came to him. He opened his eyes and went still, staring at the doorway. Leonardo leaned against the door frame, one hand on the wall. Splinter opened his mouth and closed it. The scent was true, it was his son. Leonardo was here.

His eldest son approached on silent feet, making no sound. He eased himself into a kneeling position before his father and bowed his head. His mask tails gently fell against his shoulder, torn and ragged from travel and time. The leather of his gear was worn and weathered just as well; the leather creaked with his movements.

"I have returned, Master. I will accept whatever discipline you believe is necessary for my failure." He began, voice cracking from lack of use. He kept his eyes on the tatami mat beneath him, refusing to meet his father's gaze, afraid that it would send his failing sanity to the edge. He forced his eyes closed, refusing to acknowledge the rush of emotion and relief that threatened to break free of his frail grasp.

He swallowed and bit his lip as the tension festered between them, rising and filling the room with the scent of rotten flesh. Leonardo pressed the back of his hand over his mouth as he fought the gagging sensation that the situation brought to him. His anxiety spiked and he could feel his palms damp with sweat. His stomach clenched painfully.

Master Splinter stared at his eldest son silently before slowly rising to his feet with the aid of his cane, joints creaking with the movement. "You have not failed. You have returned to take your place and resume your duties. You have made me proud, Leonardo." Splinter sighed as he gently approached the kneeling turtle. Leo did not move from his position. He bit back his tongue and stared at the floor, not allowing him to speak out of turn to the father he had not seen in four years. The father that had been dead for two because of his mistakes.

Splinter stood over his prone son and allowed a small smile to creep onto his usually solemn features. "I have missed you, my son."

Leo screwed his eyes shut and bit down on his tongue to suppress his grief at those words. The words he had longed to hear. He swallowed back emotion, forcing on a composed façade. "I missed you too, Master." He said quietly as he rose to his feet, refusing to meet his father's eyes.

Splinter's smiled faded slowly as he watched his son. Where confidence and authority should have been was silence and unease. He found Leonardo's posture to be different. There was an edgy danger that emanated from his son. Splinter touched his hand to his chest out of reflex. Leo's hazel eyes slid to meet his father's and Splinter took an instinctive step back. This was not his son. This was not the same Leonardo he had raised.

"What has happened to cause such change in you, Leonardo?"

Leo's gaze slid away and he kept his composure just barely. "It was a dangerous place. There were things I had to do that I am ashamed of, and things I was forced to adapt to."

Splinter stared at Leonardo. At first, he hadn't noticed the edge to his son's voice that hinted at an unseen cynicism and cruelty. He saw it now. He nodded once, glancing aside as worry and suspicion crept through his thoughts. He glanced back at his son and sighed, shoulders sagging. He could not press Leonardo for information so quickly, not now, even with the sudden surge of worry and suspicion. He did not want to lose his son again.

Splinter turned and took a step towards Leonardo, of which the latter took an equal step in retreat. Leo stiffened and relaxed before bowing his head. "Forgive me, Master, I... I'm still on edge."

Splinter nodded and lowered his hand to his side. "It is forgotten, my child." Splinter sensed a presence nearby and turned his eyes to the door. Relief washed over him. "But perhaps you should see to your brothers. They have been greatly affected by your absence."

Leo nodded. "Hai, Sensei." He said in a monotone voice as he planted his fist into the palm of his free hand and bent at the waist.

Leo straightened and turned to exit the room. Splinter turned to watch him and breathed heavily, unsure of what had happened to his son and desperate with need to find out.

.,.,.,.

Leo stepped into the living area, closing the screen door behind himself. His body sagged against the wall and he heaved deep breaths as his racing heart pounded rapidly within his chest. He pressed a hand over his face and exhaled deeply as he forced his body to calm.

Seeing his father hadn't caused his mind to suffer another flash. However, he couldn't stop the anxiety and guilt that had torn him asunder under the scrutinizing gaze of his father. The one who was dead and now lived. The one who died for his mistakes. The one who lived because someone else died for his mistakes.

Leo dragged his hand over his face and shook his head. He needed to see his brothers. He needed the reassurance of their breaths.

He straightened and moved past the television, heading towards the stairs only to stiffen at the sound of something moving in the kitchen. He whirled towards the source of the sound and stared at his red masked brother leaning against the fridge. Raphael met his stare with smoldering amber eyes. He lifted the lip of a beer bottle to his mouth and tilted it back; allowing the liquor to fill his mouth as he calmly drank it down. He dropped the bottle to his side and studied Leo, eyes tracing over his older brother's unscathed and unscarred body.

Leo's hand shot out, gripping the couch tightly as he met his brother's stare. He tensed. He pressed his free hand against the center of his chest. Searing pain blossomed under his hand. He could hear the cracking of his plastron and sternum all at once. Heart bursting. Lungs filling with blood. Mouth filled with the coppery taste. Everything burned. Everything crumbled.

He blinked and stared at his brother. The one he had been broken and beaten for. The one he had died for.

He took a step forward, lurching on slow feet as his hand immediately wrapped around his right arm just above the elbow. Stinging numbness surged through the limb. How easy it had been to cut through the tightly knit muscle and bone. How easy it had been to let it fly from his body, torn away by an enemy.

He exhaled and, on quicker feet, approached his brother. His heart thudded in his chest cavity both from anxiety and excitement. Raphael. He rolled the name on his tongue as he approached and a shiver went through his body.

"Raphael," he began softly as he reached out to his brother with a shaking hand.

Raph slapped his hand away, amber eyes blazing with anger and contempt. He straightened and opened his mouth to snap off a harsh word only to freeze instantaneously.

Leo had frozen in place, eyes on the hand Raph had slapped away. Shaking. Leo fell to his knees and pressed his free hand to his face as his shoulders shook and he drew in a wheezing breath. He dropped his head and gasped out a breath.

"Leo," Raph ventured, anger fading quickly. He set his beer on the floor and crouched next to his brother. "Leo, I, ah," he began.

Leo swiftly reached out with blindingly fast accuracy. He pressed the palm of his hand to Raph's plastron and gasped out another breath. He turned, eyes flickering open to stare at Raph. He closed his eyes again, not removing his hand from Raph's plastron.

Raphael stared at his brother and moved his own hand over Leo's.

The older turtle could feel the muffled rhythmic thudding of a powerful heart under Raph's plastron. His brother's chest rose and fell softly with each breath. The warmth of Raphael's hand seeped into him. He sighed contentedly and remained in place, not wanting or needing to move.

Raph studied his brother carefully, amber eyes dancing over Leo's bowed head, unable to see his eldest brother's face.

"I'm sorry." Leo's eyes were closed. His features held a strange serenity in them as he knelt there with his brother. He knew the moment would end soon. The anger he had witnessed in Raphael's demeanor still remained buried deep within, but it would rise just under the surface. Confusion and fear had taken over for the moment.

Raph swallowed numbly, eyes on his brother's fallen form. "Why?" He asked, his voice rising at the end of the word, expanding the single syllable.

Leo's eyes fluttered open. Why had he done it?

Why had he killed so many?

"To protect you." He wanted to say.

That wasn't it. He wasn't noble. He wasn't caring.

Why had he kept working?

"To protect you." He almost said.

That wasn't true. He had done it for the money. He had done it for the perks.

Why had he killed his entire family?

"To protect me." He said quietly.

He could feel Raphael's entire body go taut with confusion, anger, and judgment underneath the hand he pressed to the younger turtle's plastron.

"What do you mean?"

Leo's lips curled into a grim smirk devoid of all humor. He'd seen this question coming no matter what scenario he had imagined to deal with when confronting his brothers. He couldn't tell any of them what had happened before. He didn't want them to know his crimes. He didn't want them to know just how badly he had fucked up. They wouldn't believe that the "perfect" son could have done anything so horrible.

Everything else aside, none of them would have believed he or any other person had acquired mysterious magical powers from the 'stars'. Even less would they believe he'd used such powers for anything other than good.

He was a disgrace. He was not their leader. He deserved to die every moment he drew breath.

He turned his eyes up to Raph's own brilliant amber ones. "I'm a self-centered prick."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I'm sorry I don't update sooner, but I'm just really busy lately. I would like to congratulate all of the nominees and participants in this year's TMNT Fanfiction competition and thank those of you who chose to cast your vote in my favor ._. Really. Thank you. I am truly honored to have been nominated, let alone have placed.


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